Do You Feel Anything NOW?

Daniel drove me CRAZY Thursday morning! (In a completely cute way, of course!)

I was cramping pretty regularly for a couple of hours; they were even being picked up *a little* during my NST. After he started realizing that they were coming every 10 minutes, he started driving me nuts, asking

"Have you felt anything again?"
"Are you feeling anything now?"
"What about now?"

How sweet is that? He was so excited and wanting to be so involved that he pestered me to death!

Yesterday I started feeling some as well. The second he saw it on my face (note to self: "learn to control facial expressions") he started with the question firing squad again. I told him to knock it off and I'd give him a full report after an hour has past.

He made it 20 minutes. :-)

Love ya, Daniel! And I'm so glad you want to be involved in every step!

A Mom (or Two)

Mom and Me, June 2005

My Mom's in today while D's shooting a wedding. She's been cleaning out the fridge, washing dishes, straightening up, etc, etc ... but most importantly we've been chatting. That's my favorite part of spending time with Mom -- the "talking time". I'll admit it, we're so alike that sometimes our mutual stubborness or sensitivity will cause a glimpse of tension. But now that I've surpassed the teenage years, those tense moments are few and far between.

Anyway, I got to thinking about how she's always been the Mom and I've always been the child. How strange is it going to be when I join that rank of "Mommy"?! Of course, I know I'll ALWAYS be her "baby", but I'll be a Mom and a "baby" (if you will). We'll both be Moms. How neat is that?

A Little About "Mom and Me":

My favorite "Mom and Me" tradition: Going to Neyland Stadium to root on the Vols. What other mother-daughter duo do you know of who does that? It's absolutely wonderful! We've been doing it since I was in the 7th grade or so -- even driving 5 hours several weekends in a row to watch them play. Some seasons are more "productive" than others for them, but it's ALWAYS fun "Mom and Me" time!

Our Fashion Sense: We both enjoy shopping (maybe a little too much) and like to be nicely covered (i.e. modest) but fashionable (check out her pointy toe shoes in the pick above!). I've got a trillion clothes in my closet and she's got a zillion and two in hers. Someday maybe I'll catch up! 

Our Music Ability: Mom's a great pianist (although she may be hesitant to admit it) and I'm not too bad myself... we're both especially good sight readers. We also both played clarinet. She played through college (in the Pride of the Southland) and me through high school.

Favorite "Mom and Me" Time When I Was "Little": Going to the library and picking out books for the summer reading program. I can close my eyes and almost smell the smell of the basement of the library. Great times!

Favorite "Mom and Me" Trip: When been on a couple of trips with "just us girls", and while our England trip was the most memorable, I think I'm going to pick our Washington D.C. vaca for a rather odd reason. (TMI alert...) We were on our way to the airport (to leave to go to D.C.) and I started complaining about my stomach hurting. I had eaten a McDonald's breakfast, so I figured that accounted for the weirdness I felt. When we got to the airport (barely on time for the flight) I made a quick pit stop in the bathroom and discovered something frightening ... you guessed it! I had started my period. It was hot in D.C., we were walking a ton, and I was having to deal with the stress and pains that went along with Aunt Flo. I'm sure I was a terror to be around! But you know what sticks out in my mind? All the fun we had! We visited a tons of museums, memorials, etc and Mom made me make the best of it! 

Thanks, Mom for always urging me to push through!

(Side Note: If Jenaleigh has blonde hair, you now know who to blame!)

Dear Baby . Weddings

Dear Jenaleigh,

A portrait (by your Mee Mee) of your Aunt
Rachel as a child, trying on your Mee Mee's
wedding dress.

Your daddy and I were on our way to an appointment with our midwife when my mind started to wander into the future ... your wedding day. I said something to your daddy about how someday he'll have to walk you down that aisle and give you away. He gave me a very serious look (and I could almost see a tear starting to form) and told me, "Take that back! Don't say that again!"

You see, your Daddy is already very attached to you (as am I) and it's so difficult to think about that day when you'll leave our family and be joined together with a man to start your own. 

However, we're going to try our best to teach you about God's plan for marriage, about the relationship and roles between husband and wife, and we are regularly in prayer about your future (I even wrote a post for the whole world to see about how I'm praying for your future 'in-laws'.)

So today as the rest of the world is SO excited about the marriage of Prince William and Kate (I'm sure you'll learn more about them when you get here), I'm thinking about you! Kate was a stunning bride and I LOVED her dress. But I know on your wedding day -- perhaps a breezy day in spring or a winter wonderland in December -- you'll be the most beautiful bride ever. My baby, who I haven't even met yet.

Love,
Mommy

You can vote every day (until May 18) if you'd like!
 

Jenaleigh's Accessories

I love accessories (thank you Mom, for instilling that in me!). Unfortunately, I have a horrible habit of wearing a necklace once and then losing it ... wearing a pair of earrings out and then taking one off in the shower and one off in the bed ... you get the picture!

But, I am going to try HARD not to lose these precious accessories, headbands for Jenaleigh:

Too cute, right?!

37 Week Update

It's so difficult to believe that we're at 37 weeks (which is considered "term" by most medical professionals)! So, here's the low down:

Weight Gain: 22 pounds (and it doesn't seem to be going up anytime soon since baby has got my stomach scrunched to the size of a pea so I can't eat much). I'm pretty pleased with that! (the weight gain, not the scrunching of the stomach). I know it could have been less, but for me who can gain 20 pounds in 6 months when I'm NOT preggo, I'll take this one as a small victory in self control!

My 'Threads': If you know me (or at least the pre-pregnant me), you know I'm not one for sweat pants and t-shirts. So, being on bedrest has made it a little difficult. I want to look "nice", but it's sometimes not the most comfy to lay in bed in jeans and a sweater. HOWEVER, I have been dressing decently about every other day and find that dresses (weird, I know) are actually comfy to lounge in!

Food Cravings: I haven't had many this whole pregnancy. Fresh fruit still makes me happy, but this past week I've been wanting RESTAURANT food. Maybe this means I just want to be able to get out and go eat at restaurants! What I'd love to have right now:

• Venti Carmel Frappucino (decaf, of course)
• Zuppa Tuscana, Olive Garden
• Breadsticks and Alfredo Dip, Olive Garden
• Cheese Biscuits, Red Lobster
• Roast Beef & Cheddar Sandwich, Arby's
• Strawberry Cake, Dumplin's
• Sausage & Feta Calzone (from anywhere, really!)
• Loaded Bake Potato, Outback Steakhouse
• Beef & Cheese Burrito (almost any Mexican Restaurant will do...)

Jenaleigh is...: Hiccuping. A lot. Mainly at night. When I'm trying to sleep. She hasn't felt as crazy active as she was in previous weeks (probably due to her cramped quarters), but she's still moving like a champ! She's also firmly head down (she's been there since week 30 as far as I know).

Feelings/Thoughts/Concerns: Once I'm off bedrest (in 5 days) I'll probably go into "freak out mode", but right now I'm cool, calm, and collected (well, as much as a hormonal pregnant lady can be). I know many women at this point in the game can't wait to "get the baby out", but I'm enjoying being pregnant! Don't get me wrong, I am completely looking forward to having her here in my arms, but I think bedrest makes the "symptoms" of a usually uncomfortable time period in a woman's life less noticeable. I'm not sore all the time, I'm not swollen, I don't feel like a cow, etc...

"Stuff" Status: The nursery is about 98% completed (thank you SO much D for putting the furniture together, Dad and cousin R for taking "stuff" out of boxes and assembling them, and Mom for putting "stuff" where it belongs in the nursery!) We just need to put the washed sheet on mattress, hang the valence, and move the crib over a little and we'll put a check mark on that project. Oh, and the car seat is ONE step closer to the car -- it's sitting by the front door!

Stupid Thing I Did This Week: (Sorry Mom, I know you hate the word "stupid" and the word "hate" for that matter...) Just a few seconds ago my water bottle lept to the floor behind the coffee table. Hanging on to the bed with one arm, I reached my other arm down to scoop it up. I immediately realized I had reached a little too far and then panicked thinking I had done damage to baby. Thank you so much to the caring nurse who picked up the phone at L&D when I called for reassurance tonight! She said I probably just strained a muscle since I've been on bedrest for so long and just to be sure to mention it at my appt tomorrow (which I will do!) I know the worry will never end, even when she gets here!

Exciting News: I've been nominated for the top 25 pregnancy journals along with several journals that I subscribe to! What an honor! Click the image below to vote for me (please)!

Going to be Induced? Educate Yourself.

While in the hospital in Louisville, my perinatoligist was discussing how, if under his care, he would like to induce me at 39 weeks. He was raving about this drug that he uses that causes more "natural" contractions. The conversation went something like this ...

Me: "So, what's this drug's name?"

Dr.: "Cytotec. And it really mimics the natural pattern of labor. It's great."
Me: "Wow! If I did have to be induced, that sounds wonderful! Why isn't it used more? Why do we mainly hear about Pitocin?"
Dr. : "I'm not sure."

I now know why. 

Cyctotec (a drug designed for treating ulcers) is NOT approved for use in pregnant women, in fact the company explicitly WARNS against use in that group of people. Doesn't the graphic on the label on the drug itself say enough?

However, doctors (just like the one I encountered) are not telling women this fact and using it as an induction aide in an estimated 200,000 births yearly. They're not warning women of the outstanding risks of

• uterine rupture (even in women without previous cesarean sections)
• postpartum hemorrhage
• fetal distress
• amniotic embolism
• fetal death
• maternal death

Her story may be rare, but Tatia Oden-French's is one that is heart wrenching. In 2001 Tatia was expecting her first child and was in perfect health, excited about a natural childbirth. However, her care provider decided since she was 2 weeks overdue that she should be induced. The drug of choice: Cytotec (also known as Misoprostol). Ten hours after been administered Cyctotec, Tatia experienced hyper-stimulation of the uterus, an amniotic fluid embolism, and ended up having an emergency C-Section. Both Tatia and her baby died in the operating room. Her mother, Maddie Oden, adamantly claims that Tatia was never informed of the risks of this harmful drug, Cytotec.

Maddie Oden, now spends much of her time lobbying for the ban of usage of Cytotec in pregnant women. 

Another reason the drug is so harmful to pregnant women is that has not gone through the clinical studies and trials necessary to be approved for use on pregnant women. (Which is one of the reasons hospitals prefer to use it -- it's cheap since it hasn't been studied in an expensive clinical trial on pregnant ladies) Therefore, there is no "standard", "correct dosage" . It comes in a pill form, which doctors have to cut up even though the pill is not meant to be divided in that manner (the active ingredients may not be equally distributed).

Being in a pill form also causes another danger. With Pitocin (in a drip form) if adverse reactions are detected the medication drip can be stopped and the medication cleared from the body rapidly. But, with Cytotec, there's no "taking back" a pill once it's been administered. One just has to hope that it goes okay!

Even Cytotec's manufacturer, Seale, took the time to write out a plea to warn the medical community in 2000:
"Serious adverse events have been reported following off-label use of Cytotec in pregnant women including maternal or fetal death, uterine rupture …amniotic fluid embolism"

Yet medical professionals still continue to administer the drug.

If your doctor mentions induction to you, please ask questions and make informed decisions. It enrages me that the doctor that I mentioned at the beginning of the post seemed to be holding back information from me. Maybe he doesn't know the risks. How much scarier is that thought?

Thankfully I now know and will be refusing Cytotec if ever offered to me. Make your own choices. (Read how making your own medical choices is closely related to making your own spiritual choices over at The Christian Practice.)

Links to Info on Cytotec:
WSMV's News Story on Cytotec
The Tatia Oden French Foundation

Drug Danger: Cytotec

Birth Story Monday . Baby Andrew's Story

(Martha's Notes: I've only known Holly for a few months; but she's already come to my rescue at least twice! First of all, I was quite frantic about switching care providers mid-pregnancy. Before we had even moved to Hardin I posted on FB about how I wasn't having much luck finding a midwife in the Western KY area and sweet Holly messaged me and told me about Candy (one of the few-- if not the only -- midwives allowed to deliver in hospitals in the area). Then I was have difficulties finding a doula and Holly pointed me in the direction of her sister-in-law, Stephanie! Woohoo! Anyway, here Holly shares her fourth kiddo's birth story on Birth Story Monday -- which happens to fall on a Tuesday today ;-) !)


Baby Andrew's Story
By: Holly R.
This is Andrew's story, he was born December 7, 2007. He is my fourth, and Lord willing, final baby. With this pregnancy, and my previous two, I had gestational diabetes(gd). I was blessed to be able to control it with diet only and weekly non-stress tests. Other than the gd I had a normal pregnancy.

Our main concern with Andrew was his size. I have big babies, they get bigger with each one I have. Although I have big babies, I have never had a c-section or an episiotomy. Little did I know though that Andrew would not be big, he would be huge.

My older three children were born in Lexington at Central Baptist Hospital, but this time I used a midwife, Candy. I loved my doctor in Lexington, but Candy being a midwife approached pregnancy not as a medical condition, but a natural process of life. Candy was a wonderful support and advocate for me.  

At 39 weeks Candy ordered an ultrasound to try to get estimate of Andrew's size, as she was very nervous about him fitting through my pelvis. The ultrasound was done and the estimate -- 10 pounds. Candy said the doctor would probably want to do a c-section. Now I know that c-sections are sometimes necessary, but, in my humble opinion, are performed way too often. This was a route Tim, Candy, and I did not want to take, but it was up to Dr. Wynstra and what he felt was safe. In the end Dr. Wynstra said my pelvis had proven itself in my other deliveries and felt it would be ok to let me try a vaginal delivery. It was Wednesday, I was told to come back Friday morning to be induced. My first induction.

I arrived at the birthing center bright and early and got all hooked up and the pitocin was started. On a side note, I think pitocin may possibly be a tool of the devil. Anyway, Candy came in and made me get out of the bed and told me she didn't want to see me in that bed again! I was to be up moving or on the birthing ball. Since I was attached to monitors, moving was a little more difficult. I must say though that I LOVED the birthing ball, it was great.

I labored all day and into the evening. Pitocin contractions are different, they come closer together than regular ones. At about 5:00 I was at a 4 and requested my epidural, sweet sweet relief. I am not ashamed to admit to having epidurals with all four babies, it was a good choice for me. I kept laboring another hour and half and my blood pressure dropped. They started pumping fluids into me and got it brought back up. It was then time to push. 

Candy had me lay on my side and push, but that wasn't really working, so in came the stirrups. This was actually funny, because it took Candy and two nurses to figure out how to put the stirrups on the bed! Candy had also called Dr. Wynstra in, just in case Andrew would't fit and a c-section was needed. I began pushing again, with great encouragement from Candy and Dr. Wynstra. They got the vacuum out and used it to help me, but I really don't think it helped all that much. After much pushing, they were saying look, look here he comes. I looked down and saw my precious boy slide out, face up. The first words I heard are, "We have got to get him on the scale." 

He was huge. Andrew Nicolas weighed 11 lbs 7 oz and was 22 inches long. He was born the size of a three month old. No newborn diapers for him and the little shirts they put on the babies didn't fit him, way too small. The little hat was too small also and wouldn't stay on. He was perfectly healthy and absolutely beautiful.

I was told that he was the biggest baby born vaginally at Jackson Purchase, I hope no poor woman gets to break my record. It was a difficult delivery, but the payoff was amazing. There is nothing in the world like looking into your child's eyes for the first time, even when it is number four, it was amazing each and every time. I thank God for letting me get to experience it.